Christopher Schwarz

Every board has edges, faces and end grain. So every workbench should be able to easily work the edges, faces and ends of boards. But most benches built during the last 100 years will fail you on at least one of these tasks. This book dives deep into the historical records of the 18th and 19th centuries and breathes new life into traditional designs that have lain dormant for decades and were utterly fantastic to use. These old-school benches are simpler than modern benches, easier to build and surprisingly perfect for both power and hand tools. Encompassing years of historical research and real-world trials, this book boils down centuries of the history and engineering of workbenches into simple ideas that all woodworkers can use. With this book, your very first workbench will do everything you need it to do for the rest of your career in the craft. This revised and expanded edition includes 64 pages of new information including a step-by-step build and measured drawings for an 18th-century French bench and a knockdown English bench, as well as recent advances in workholding

The follow-up book to Workbenches: From Design & Theory to Construction & UseComplete plans, expert instruction and rationale for building nine workbench formsInstruction on improving existing workbenches for better workholding and an improved woodworking shop.The Workbench Design Book not only shows how to design a workbench—it also discusses and presents nine specific designs plus critiques of 10 additional workbenches, with suggestions for making any bench work most effectively for the kind of work the user does. The 9 workbench plans have a range suitable for all workshop needs, from handwork to power tools. A discussion of workbench design rules teach what's effective and why in a multitude of workshop situations. Additional workholding options—from shop-made jigs and commercial bench dogs to vise hardware—are also provided.